Music-leaf turner.



J. B. RICH,

MUSIC LEAF. TURNER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1911.

1,032,429. PatentedvJuly 16, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. B. RICE.

MUSIC LEAF APPLICATION FILE TURNER.

D JULY 13,1911.

2 SHBETSSHEET 2.

38 d 5,9 15 15 Z5 Z6 Fly. 62

8141mm fez Jalm BRice UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. RICE, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jul 15, 1912.

Application filed July 13; 1911. Serial No. 638,246.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it 'known that I, JOHN citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin; and State of Ohio,

toa p1an6 and easily operated. I

The invention is embodied in the con struction herein shown; and described and In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a View in end elevation of an upright piano showing the leaf; turner applied thereto. Fig. 2 is-a detail view in side elevation the finger operating devices. Fig; 3 i a on itudinal sectional view showing the shaft or operating the devices shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front view of the parts sho n in Fig. 2.- Fig. 5 isa plan view of the lower side of v the frame that carries the leaf turning 11 11, and 11 and located. in

. described. .5

fingers and their operatin have some suitable form spool or drum. Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the operating mechanism atthe back ofthe 'piano. Fig. 7 v is aperspective view on a larger scale of the spool or drum. J

In .the views 10 designates a frame that is supported near the top of the piano at its front. 'In this frame is vertically mounted a spool or drum 11 having on its surface four excrescen't soft rubber segments 11, of the same size and form a spiral line around the drum. The drum 11 has fixed in it a shaft 12 that has at its upper end a bevel gear 13 engaged by a bevel gear 14 on a shaft constructed and turned as will be later herein 15, 15', 15? and 15, leaf turning fingers. These fingers each of device for enga ing the music .leaffat their lower ends e an at their H er ends they are formed with cylindricai liubs such as shown at 16. Said hubs have roughened surfacesv and are arranged in 9. 'tier parallelto the axis of thespool or drum 1 1 so-that the rubber segments of the latter may when turned successively engage said-hubs to swing the leaf turning fingers one afterthe other from left B. RICE, a

frame 18. have invented a certain newand useful Improvementv in Music-Leaf pocket 10 designate the music I to right or reversely as may be desired. The hubs are journaled on the upper end of a pin 17 said pin being fixed in a voke-like The frame 18 is provided with slots in its arms like that shown at 18 where it passes the shaft 12 so that the pin 17 and its contained hubs can be In ved to- I wardpr. from the spool ordru The frame I8 is provided at its rearend with a threaded pin or shank 19 that extends through the structure of theframe and a on said frame 10. In said pocket 10*encircling the pin 19 is a coil spring 20 'andagainst said spring is turned a nut 21. then particularly pointed out in the claims. 1

The lengths of the pin-19 and spring 20 are such that the frame 18-02111 havesome play sothat the frame is thereby held with the hubs drawninregulable yieldim contact with the rubber segments of the spool or drum. I

The'gear l t-is fixed on the end of-a solid shaft member 22 that telesco es in a tubular shaft member 23. The sha t furnished with a pin 22* that rojects into a slot 23* in the member 23 so that the mem-, ber '23 can turn the member 22 after-adjustment of said members each other. to lengthen or shorten the combined members.

tion of the device to pianos of different depths. Theshaft members 22 and I23'are incased in tubular stationary members 25 and 26 forming parts of the frame 10 and a bracket 27 attached to the back of the piano. The tubular shaft. member .is jour- Emember 22 is with reference to v The possible adjustment of the shaft members permits the applicanaled in the bracket glandbeyond said...

bracket is furnished with a small, wheel 28. Over jhe sprocket wheel" '28 travels a sprocket ain 29 forming in conjunction with a strap portion 29 a driving belt which in its strap part extends around a large belt wheel 30. The belt wheel 30 is mounted to turn on a suitable studshaft -31 secured to the back wall of the piano. Journaled to the under side of the piano is a two part shaft composedof a rod 32 and a tube v to pinch the rod to fix them together in adjusted position. the rear end of this shaft is a crank arm 'connected by a rod 36 with the large wheel 30 and on the 'forward-end of said shaft isa crank-rod-37 provided at its upper end with kneepiece 37 by means of which the performer can swing sprocket 33 with a set screw 34 in .the tube at the end connected with the rod 35.

opposite .directions and threaded to receive an ordinary nut substantially as illustrated Therefore said rod 36 is removable and can be shifted to different holes 30 and 35 in thewheel 30 and crank rod respectively to effect a longer or shorter movement of the belt as may be desired, it being obvious, for example, that if the left hand end of the rod or link 36 (as seen in Fig. 7) be connected with the h ole 35 it will with an equal swing of the arm 35 move through a longer are than if connected atthe point shown in said Fig. 6. The wheel 30 can be made of large circumference so that a partial revolutionsay a sixth thereof-shall elfectpreferably one revolution of the shaft 12 and drum 11.

The hubs of the leaf turners are kept separated by means of washer-like plates 38 inounted on pins 39 secured in the yoke frame 18. The pins 39 also serve as stops to limit the oscillations of the leaf-turning fingers to the right and left.

The pin 17 is extended somewhat below the frame 10 and fixed on said pin in a spring clip piece 40 having at its upper end a head portion 40 that slides under said frame and at its lower portion the. piece 4-0 is bentas seen at 40 and pcrforatedfor the passage of the pin 17. The lower extremity of the piece 40 constitutes a spring clip that co operates with the lower end of the pin 17 to receive the music sheets at the middle fold to hold the sheets while they are being read and turned.

Assuming that the necessary leaf turning fingers have been attached to the leaves of the music at theright the swinging of the crank arm 37 to the left with the knee will turn first one and then the next and so on in succession until as many leaves have been turned as desired. T 0 repeat the piece or a movement thereof the said arm 37 is swung to the right until the page desired is reached. In this operation the arms 37 and 35, being both fixed to the shaft 32, swing correspondingly and because the arm 35 is linked to the wheel 30 said' wheel rocks through an arc corresponding to the throw of the arm 35 at its point of connection with said wheel.

With this construction of device the hubs can be moved independently of the operating drum or spool and because of the aforesaid slippage the operating drum upon continued rotation in one direction works all the leaf turning fingers into line against one of said stops 39. Therefore when any one leaf holding finger has been manually] each other.

moved or displaced from its proper-relation to the others the continued rotation of the drum 11 in the proper direction brings all the fingers into normal alinement or position against the stop 39 at one side and the mechanism may. therefore be said to be self correcting. That is to say if one finger is not properly positioned with reference to the others the mere ordinary operation of the device brings about the correct positioning of the fingers with reference to The reason for this is that the movement of the fingers to the right or left is limited by the pins 39 and the continued and forced operation of the drum in one direction or the other permits slippage between the segments and hubs until all the fingers are brought into line against one of the pins When regularly in line at one side the leaf turning fingers can be regularly operated to the other because of the regular occurrence of the segments around the spool or drum.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a music leaf turner, the combination with the leaf engaging fingers having hubs, a rotatable drum having frictional devices for independently operating said hubs, and means for rotating said drum of means for drawing said hubs toward the drum and holding the same in position to be engaged by said frictional devices.

2. In a music leaf turner, the combination with the leaf engaging fingers having hubs, a rotatable drum having frictional devices for independently operating said hubs, and means for rotat'ng said drum of means for drawing said hubs toward the drum and yieldingly holding the same in position to be engaged by said-frictional devices.

In a music leaf turner, the combination with the leaf engaging fingers having hubs, a rotatable drum having a stationary axis and frictional device for independently operating said hub. and means for roa pin 17 on which said tating said drum hubs are mounted. a movable yoke 19 cunniing said pin. and means whereby said yoke can be adjusted to more the hubs toward or from said drum.

4. In a music leaf turner. he cou'ibination with the leaf engaging fine having hubs, a rotatable drum having a slatiouai axis and frictional devices for independently operating said hubs. and means for rotating said drum, :1 pin 17 on which said hubs are mounted. a movable yoke 19 engaging said pin. and means consisting of a threaded stem 19. spring 20 and nut 21 whereby said yoke can be. adjusted to move the hubs toward or from said drum.

Ina music leaf turner. the combination with the leaf engaging fingers having hubs, a rotatable drum having a stationary axis and frictional devices for independlit from said drum said pin having an exteni sion and a cooperating clip forengagingthe music sheets. 6. In a music leaf turner, the combination with the leaf engaging fingers having hubs,

a rotatable drum having elastic segmentaldevices for independently operating said hubs, andmeans 'for rotating said drum said hubs and segmental devices having contacting operating surfaces adapted to permit Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommi ssioner of Patents,-

the slippingofsuch devices with reference to said hubs at any point of contact.

- 7. In a music leaf turner, the combina tion With the leaf engaging fingers having hubs, a rotatable drum havingelastic segvmental devices for independently operating said hubs, and .meansv for rotating saidv drum said .hubshaving roughened surfaces;

and said segmental devices having smooth p re gsur faces to contact with said hubs.

' JO N. B. RicE.

Witnesses:

.BENJ. FINGKEL,

MAYMnFoAnn.

Washington, D. G.- 

